Because we might as well lurk it! [lurkers thread, no players]

[Qgqqqqq]

For reference, this is the map they're using:

http://realmsbeyond.net/forums/attachment.php?aid=875

I think Furungy's focus on the horses is foolish given his easy access to bronze (he's already researched it and has it in his borders) and his relative isolation. He could probably afford to leave copper unhooked and just fogbust with warriors.

[Fintourist]

Quick comment on Furungy's plan to skip Wheel & Pottery in order to get Sailing fast so that he can settle for horses:
A bit hasty!

Those horses should be there in a bit too. Starting on granaries and cottages first sounds better to me, you can still get those horses with your 4th city.

Or have I understood this map wrong and this is some kind of a super-cramped map and everyone will be in war in 10 turns from now?

[Qgqqqqq]

Map is big and water-based (1277 land tiles, but a lot of water). IIRC, he doesn't have any neighbours that can hit him without galleys (not quite an isolated island, he landed on a peninsula connected only by a small strip of land, which is blocked by a mountain, so effectively a isolated start).

[Ceiliazul]

1277 land tiles for 7 players = 182 per person... that's a lot. This game is going to take a while.

Re: Elitism and chasing away new people, I did not join my first game for 4 years after I found the site due mostly to insecurity. So I agree that we chase away new *players*. But I came in the first place, and stayed, because of the same willingness people have to share their skills.

Basically, I agree with Seven that skill without elitism is possible. I also agree that it's hard.

[Ceiliazul]

Furungy's app is interesting, but I agree that prioritizing horse is going to set him back.

Check out Hum's start... Great land for a fast start! It's a crime that agriculture waited this long, that unfarmed corn hurts me.

Hum, I think you can defend packing cities in tight, but if you're going to do that, your first settler really shouldn't wander so far. It makes worker labor really hard to coordinate. I think I'd run it more like this:



I'm sure some other lurkers would call me crazy, but eh. The only dot you have I really hate is the "2" for a lonely pig. For a while, that city is only good for working cottages while the capital is small. the "X" cities depend on how close your opponents are in those directions... probably the Northern "X" probably comes first.

Edit: Wow, I'll take a Heroic Epic in the fish/copper city please. That's a strong site with corn to steal when it needs to grow.

[Ceiliazul]

Looking at the map you posted, Qgq, what were your objectives?

[Commodore]

I love seeing all the new reporting blood here, by the way.

[Qgqqqqq]

Looking at the map you posted, Qgq, what were your objectives?

http://realmsbeyond.net/forums/showthread.php?tid=6467

So the map was not designed from scratch, I simply rolled until I got an interesting Big & Small Map, erased a player and balanced certain aspects of it, to the point that any player has a decent shot at winning. Mainly, I made sure everyone had access to all the principle strategic resources (copper, iron, horse, oil, uranium, aluminum and coal) in a manner that they were clearly theirs to lose. With the later game strats I thought it best to make absolutely sure they were available given how crippling losing them could be, so they are mostly clustered around the player, while the early game strategic resources, if they were not available randomly anyway, would be rendered in a way that might require an investment to secure but was still ultimately theirs by any reasonable estimate. For example, Hum's close copper is placed, because his initial one, as visible further north in the image you posted upthread, was possibly too exposed. His horse I was unsure on, he has one to his NW that should be safely his, but it was exposed enough that I placed another, more secure in the ice to his south.
I then made sure each capital had decent food, hammers and tech - each has a river except the one who spawned with a gold tile (which was moved beneath them to prevent an overpowering capital). After that I made sure there was oppurtunity for a decent second city each, with a decent land food tile to open up with and the opportunity to share food. I then looked at land quality, and improved those that were trailing significantly, especially the island starts. I looked at luxury placement, and made sure everyone had at least one ancient age luxury available (Zanth's fur is the weakest, but he has the strongest start in other areas). Looking at it again now, France's start could've been improved more, they've a rather weak expansion options and their ivory is further out then I remembered.
The map is big, but remember how much ice there is, and islands too. Zulu's position (Egypt in-game) was actually moved from somewhere else, one of the islands, because Zanth's start was too strong. The deleted player came from the centre of the western continent, but it was getting rather cramped there because of the jungle so I deleted that one and moved Egypt.

[Qgqqqqq]

In a normal RB game I would take a peek at MYKI's capital. In this game, I probably wouldn't, as who knows how this crowd would respond.

[Commodore]

Did you mean to give Gav PB8 India?